Skeptics Guide #791

The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe Skepticast #791 September 2nd, 2020 Segment #1. COVID-19 Update https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/covid-in-children/ Segment #2. News Items News Item #1 – Nuclear Diamond Batteries https://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/nuclear-diamond-batteries/ News Item #2 – Instant COVID Testing https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/instant-coffee-covid-19-tests-could-be-the-answer-to-reopening-the-u-s/ News Item #3 – Blanets https://www.livescience.com/black-hole-planets-blanets.html News Item #4 – Detecting Alien Biochemistry https://www.airspacemag.com/daily-planet/new-tool-detect-alien-biochemistry-180975699/ Segment #3: Who’s That Noisy Segment #4: Your Questions and E-mails Question #1: Stargazing Permit I was listening to your show mentioning how enjoyable it was to go stargazing and watch the Perseids meteor shower and am aware that some of the hosts live in or near the New York area. New York has a requirement to get a permit for stargazing (maybe only in a few parks and beaches, I'm unsure) and was wondering what your thoughts are on this. Doesn't this inherently limit stargazers? Is there a benefit to the permit fee or is it just revenue for the state? Do you know of other states that do this? Is this an "anti-science" permit for charging people to enjoy the night sky? Thanks for your time! Derek Swinamer British Columbia, Canada Segment #5: Interview with Tim Dodd https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6uKrU_WqJ1R2HMTY3LIx5Q Segment #6. Science or Fiction Each week our host will come up with three science news items or facts, two genuine, one fictitious. He will challenge our panel of skeptics to sniff out the fake – and you can play along. #1) An extensive study finds that political ads have an insignificant effect on voter choice, regardless of any variable considered, such as political affiliation, location, and positive vs negative ads. #2) A traffic simulation finds that small numbers of autonomous vehicles (<20%) could significantly slow overall traffic. #3) A new study suggests that oxygen from Earth has been reacting with iron on the surface of the Moon. Segment #7. Skeptical Quote of the Week "Certain people – men, of course – discouraged me, saying [science] was not a good career for women. That pushed me even more to persevere." - Francoise Barre, virologist who won the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine